We're Human Too!
by Phoenixica24
Summary: Prologue pre-anime, leading into the story set after the anime. Kisshu's adventures prior to arriving in Tokyo come back to haunt him! Can he and the girl whose life he stole and ruined learn to love-each other?
1. Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes

**A/N: ****Thanks to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) for looking this over for me! My first TMM fic, set after the anime! Please review and let me know what you think! :D Chapters dedicated to those who do! =P**

We're Human Too!

Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes:

A warm summer breeze drifted across the parking lot. Clouds wafted across the clear blue sky, small, white, and puffy, with little threat of rain to ruin this beautiful day.

A gun shot went off, smoke spreading across the red track while people in the stands started screaming, cheering for daughters, sisters, friends, and girlfriends as they broke from the start, all falling into line around the curve, hugging the inside.

Except for one. She swung wide, her long legs stretching out and eating up the ground, passing several people. This was her second year in track, fourth competition season running. She loved it. She'd improved so much.

"Keep going, Dawn!" one of her teammates gasped. The girl nodded slightly, forcing her breathing to stay nice and even. That was her biggest defect-her weak lungs. If it weren't for her lungs, she'd be running varsity now!

_Don't think about that, just run!_ She scolded herself mentally.

A little over seven minutes later, she crossed the line. Glancing at the clock, she panted out a small, tired, yet triumphant noise. _7:20!_ a new PR!

The distance coach came up behind her. "Great job, hun! You've improved so much since that summer, don't you think?" They shared a laugh.

"Go cool down, you're done for today." the coach ordered. "Get a drink while you're at it." She passed the girl a handful of Lemon Heads, proven by their team to help with runner's cough and raw throats. Teammates high-fived the girl as she trotted off the track.

"Yeah! Blow 'em off the track!" someone yelled in her face, and they all started laughing.

Her boyfriend, Zack, held out a Gatorade as she jogged over. "You looked amazing, sweetheart." he told her, reaching out to hug her, but she backed away, taking the Gatorade with her.

"Oy! You know how it is!" she scolded, smirking before she jogged off to join her friends to cool down.

"I don't care." he whispered. He knew she could get kicked off the team for PDA at a meet, and that she didn't generally like non-runners touching her after she'd run. But it didn't stop her from being beautiful in his eyes.

Four girls started out jogging around the outside of the track, congratulating each other on a good race when the earth shook, a low rumbling noise coming from beneath their feet. The girls looked at each other and sprinted back to their coach, who was helping get everyone out of the stands. People screamed. The structure started collapsing, and those who weren't already off began jumping and throwing children to people on the ground. Everybody ran for the field where the throwers had been competing until a few moments prior.

Above the chaos, a lone figure hovered, smirking. "This is just the beginning." he whispered before disappearing. Dawn looked up as his body rippled, and only caught a glimpse of his eyes before he was gone completely. Her strawberry-blonde hair blew in her face, just a shade redder than his golden eyes, which pierced straight through her like nothing she'd ever heard of before. Then he was gone.

All over the US, the same thing happened. That night, all at once, a massive quake shook the entire continent. Buildings collapsed, and fire reigned supreme. Explosions could be heard from long distances, and pieces of earth flew high into the sky.

The Dawn had been out with her team and her boyfriend celebrating their victory-and select members' advancement to State competition. As the quakes started, everyone ran outside. Hovering in front of the ice cream store was the man-no, boy-from before. She could never forget those strange golden eyes. With cat-like pupils and a slight orange tint, she was pretty sure they didn't belong to a human. The large, elf-like ears and apparently natural green hair color helped prove this theory. Glancing around, Dawn noticed her friends and Zack running for Kelly's car. "Hurry!" Angel yelled across the parking lot.

"Oh, no, you don't!" the green-haired boy yelled, raising his palms. Electric bolts slammed into the car, and it burst into flames, several of Dawn's friends trapped inside.

She sprinted over to the car, dodging chunks of cement from who knew where, and throwing herself to the ground and closing her eyes to pray as another car came flipping towards her. Strong arms encircled her waist and she felt herself being lifted. She heard Zack's voice start screaming with the others, and cracked one eye open to see him staring up at her in pure terror. Then he turned and ran.

"Some boyfriend." the green-haired boy snickered. "I could do a lot better."

"Who the hell are you?" Dawn gasped, his grip was constricting her lungs, and the smoke all around them caused her to start coughing.

_Damn!_ Blood appeared on her teeth, and as the strange boy set her down, he noticed. "Aw, don't be like that honey," he said with a strange, lilting accent.

Looking at him, Dawn noticed he seemed to be about her age, maybe a little older. He was wearing a brown, puffy-sleeved, V-neck top that exposed his midriff with some kind of short black undershirt. He wore dark, baggy pants that went just below his knees and had tight red bands on the waist and cuffs. Long strips of cloth fluttered behind him, mimicking some sort of cape of doom. Brown rectangles of fabric hung in the front and back of his pants. His green hair seemed short in the back, and his bangs hung low over his golden eyes. The front was longer and pulled into something resembling low pigtails in front of his large, elfin ears, with little red bands. _Well, not Legolas-style elfin, but what else? _Dawn wondered, smiling to herself.

"That's my little spark." The boy said, drifting closer.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I _have_ a boyfriend. Not interested." Dawn retorted.

"Too bad. And I believe the term is _had_, darling. Or in case you hadn't noticed, he just abandoned you to an unknown and rather questionable fate."

Dawn looked around, her amber eyes flitting from side to side until she spotted a thin pole nearby, about six feet long. _Perfect._

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, honey. Although I'm not sure what you expect to do with a skinny little pole like that."

"You'll find out in a moment." Dawn smirked, lunging backwards, away from the pole. The boy, paused, frowning, and that gave her the instant she needed to lunge back forward. This time he reacted, lifting his hands. Two long swords, each with one long blade and a shorter one on each side materialized in his hands.

_ Freaking alien!_ Dawn's mind yelped. She didn't stop, simply tucked her body into a ball and neatly flipped over his head. He rose, reaching out for her, but was a moment too late. One of his swords lightly grazed her neck, leaving a trail of blood in the air.

_Shit!_

"Now look what you've done, birdy." he murmured, actually looking concerned as he approached her. "Your beautiful neck is all ruined."

"How is that my fault?" Dawn squealed indignantly. "_I'm _not the one waving swords around like a maniac!"

He cringed. "Come now, honey, don't be like that..." he began again.

As he closed his eyes and shook his head sadly, Dawn reached out and grabbed the pole. Letting a year of color guard training take over, she whirled the pole around her head, on instinct bringing it out instead of keeping it close to her body as she usually did. It smacked the boy on the ribs, causing something to crack loudly. Dawn didn't know if the pole or his ribs made the noise, but she kept spinning. The next time, she hit the side of his head as he lunged towards her. She could swear she saw blood on the end of her makeshift staff this time.

He hissed in frustration, and lashed out with a sword. It sliced cleanly through the pole, narrowly missing cutting her hand off. He flipped the other sword in his hand, and it disappeared. He used his now free hand to grab her wrist, pulling her close.

"Don't be like that sweetheart. Isn't it polite to at least introduce yourself before attacking someone?" he whispered in his smooth voice.

"Isn't it rude to kill someone's friends before introducing yourself?" Dawn retorted.

He shrugged. "Touche. I'm Kisshu."

Dawn gaped at him. "What the hell?"

"And you are?" he asked, smirking again.

"Your death." she snapped, leaping towards him. He sidestepped her punch and grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him. "Come on, honey...All I want from you is your name, love."

"I'm not your pet!" she yelped. "And I don't appreciate being toyed with!"

"Feisty, aren't you? All the more fun." he laughed. Then he grew serious. "Either give me your name and live, or resist and die, human!" he yelled, clearly frustrated.

He lunged for her again, and Dawn easily sidestepped. He had completely lost control now. _Not like giving him my name would hurt._

"Dawn." she said calmly. He turned, staring at her with a blank look. "Dawn..." he murmured. Then he smiled. "Beautiful, strong name. For a beautiful, strong girl." He drifted closer, taking her chin in his hand as he smiled down at her. "Ja-ne, Dawn." he whispered, his breath warm on her face. Her heart jumped, and he suddenly leaned in and kissed her, pressing his lips lightly to hers. Sparks rushed through her body, and she stumbled backwards, shoving him away. Her eyes narrowed, but before she could say or do anything, ripples spread out from his body and he vanished in a streak of color.

Numbly looking around, Dawn prayed Zack hadn't seen anything, before the destruction really hit her. She ran towards her home, and found it collapsed. She dropped to the ground, shaking.

"Dawn?" a weak voice called from the ditch across the street.

"James?" she called back shakily, standing with some difficulty.

Her little brother appeared, their dog, Sierra, beside him. He was crying as he ran into her arms.

"The ground started shaking, and Daddy said to go to the basement, he made Momma go, but I didn't think that was right and Sierra jumped out the window so I followed her here and I turned around and the house fell apart, and Momma was screaming and I couldn't get in and she...she sto-" his voice was completely broken, and he fell to the ground sobbing. Dawn knelt with her arms around him. "At least we've got each other." she whispered. Grateful that someone, anyone, had survived. And she had no doubt that Kisshu was behind this.

"Damn you, Kisshu." she whispered into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: Aftermath

**A/N: Thanks to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) for doing f****our of these on very short notice! I am eternally grateful! -Please review, chapters dedicated to those who do!-:D**

We're Human Too!

Chapter 2: Aftermath:

The bang of the gavel echoed around the full courtroom, startling Dawn out of her dazed stupor. It had been like this for months now. The only survivors from the US were few, those who knew each other fewer.

Out of the spared ones were Dawn, James, and Dawn's two friends, Iris and AJ. They had been sent to Britain since the American court system had collapsed with the nation. Apparently radiation was high in their area, it was a miracle anyone at all had survived. The courts remained suspicious, insisting that their bodies must have been altered by such a high level of radiation, but the teens and James felt no different than before. Just numbed by shock at what had become of their lives.

It also came to light that Dawn's father had another child. A son, an adult living in Tokyo, Japan. His name was Ryan, or Ryou. Shirogane Ryou. He had offered to let his half-siblings stay with him until Dawn reached legal adulthood at eighteen in a year and two months. The courts did not want to separate Dawn, Iris, and AJ for the simple reason that if their bodies had indeed been altered, besides Dawn now being diagnosed with the cancer that her mother had left her before she died, that they would need each other's support. Ryou's friend Keiichiro had offered his home as a place for Iris and AJ. The courts had apparently finally agreed. The video-conferencing was held long enough so that Ryou and his siblings could exchange a few words.

Ryou was a laid-back blonde with blue eyes. He'd grown up with his mother and stepfather in the US, in the south. He spoke fluent English, as did Keiichiro.

"Do either of you speak Japanese?" he asked calmly, without even asking their names.

"Hai." Dawn replied. Ryou started. "I watch anime, so I picked up a few phrases. Nowhere near enough, though." she explained.

"Better than nothing." the blonde replied, sighing in relief. "You like languages, then?" Dawn simply nodded. "I'm fairly good with Spanish, too."

"That won't help you here." Ryou replied.

"Well, my high school didn't exactly offer Japanese as a course, credited or no." she retorted. Ryou sighed.

"The courts have arranged a private jet for you in an hour. You'll be landing in Tokyo by tomorrow. I'll meet you there. Keiichiro will be there, too." he added, glancing at Iris and AJ. "Your names will have to be translated, some will have to be altered. We'll work on that after you land. We'll see you then." He nodded, then logged out.

Dawn sighed. "Come on, James!" she called. Her little brother came to stand by her side, taking her hand nervously. She squeezed gently, smiling reassuringly down at him.

The flight was a long one. Iris, AJ, and Dawn all talked throughout most of it. James played his DS and eventually slept. A short while after he'd dozed off, they were all pretty much unconscious, and remained that way until after they landed.

Ryou led Keiichiro onto the plane, waving aside the pilot's apologies.

"I can't wake them up..."

"It's all right." Ryou replied, stepping into the passenger area. Keiichiro stepped in behind him and couldn't suppress a smile.

"They're so cute." he whispered to his friend.

"Let's see if you think that after we carry all of them out of here." Ryou replied.

"Aren't you the bright sunshine?" Keiichiro commented. He reached out towards AJ and shook his shoulder gently. Dawn, across the compartment with an arm protectively around James' shoulders, stirred at the sound of their soft voices, stirred, and blinked open her eyes.

"Hey there." Keiichiro told her. "You've landed." Dawn simply nodded and stood, stretching before reaching out to prod Iris between the shoulder blades. Iris sat up with a yelp, her eyes flying open. AJ stirred as well, and snapped at Iris to shut up, she was disturbing his nap. They passed around introductions, and Dawn showed no signs of waking James, so Ryou sighed inwardly and turned to wake him. But Dawn beat him to it. The slender fifteen-year-old picked up her ten-year-old brother who was almost as big as she was, and probably weighed close to as much as she did. She looked up at Ryou with a sort of challenging gaze, and he dropped his arms, leading the way off the plane.

Clearly Dawn would take care of James. She already seemed mature enough to look after both of them on her own. Which would make it easier for Ryou to focus on the Mew Project, and cleaning up the Chimera Animals the aliens had left behind.

They took the Americans to Cafe Mew Mew first, introducing them to the girls, and Ryou led them down into the basement to explain the real purpose of the cafe.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Zakuro asked Keiichiro.

"Two of them are his siblings. They probably would have found out eventually anyway. The others are practically siblings to his sister. Once she found out, so would they. With family, it's best not to keep huge secrets like 'I'm the manager of the Mew Mews'. He wants them to trust him so they'll behave and be easier to deal with instead of him always making excuses. His sister's old enough to know that simply running a cafe doesn't take that much work."

"Oh." Zakuro murmured.

"We also suspect, like the British government, that the radiation may have affected their bodies. Since we believe the aliens caused the radiation, it's possible that they are like you."

"In the year since the disaster, they wouldn't have noticed? Anyway, the aliens came here first." Zakuro reasoned.

"Pai and Taruto came here first. But their plan was to take over the world. Who's to say Kisshu didn't cause every disaster in the time leading up to his appearance here?"

None of them had noticed Dawn's appearance in the doorway. "Kisshu?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"She recognized the name, anyway. Did Shirogane-san tell her about their names?"

"No." Rou replied, appearing behind Dawn.

"You know him?" he asked his sister in English.

She nodded, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Yes. He's the one who burned my friends alive and chased my boyfriend away! I think he's the one who caused the earthquakes that left all of us orphans!" she hissed vehemently. Ryou backed away quickly.

He swiftly translated her tirade for the Mews, who stared at her in sympathy.

"That's hard." Lettuce murmured.

"That bastard had the nerve to flirt with me-and..._kiss_...me, while trying to kill me!" Dawn yelped. Ryou's eyes widened. "He _kissed_ you?" he exclaimed.

Dawn nodded. Keiichiro translated for the Mews, who all gasped.

Ichigo went over and hugged Dawn. "He did that to me, too. But he's gone now." she told the older girl.

Keiichiro translated, and Dawn nodded. "Arigato." she murmured. The Mews turned to stare expectantly at Ryou. "She speaks Japanese!" Pudding exclaimed happily. She crowded around Dawn, asking her questions ranging from 'What's your favorite color?' to 'Did you like his kiss?'. She received only a blank look in reply. Then Dawn glanced at Ryou.

"Only a little. She watches some anime a lot, and picked up a few common phrases. That's all." Ryou explained. "She learns quickly though, and is good with languages. She definitely enjoys it."

"That's good." Zakuro said quietly. "For now, hearing us is best. I can tell she's trying to figure out what we're saying on her own, and that's good. Enough of us can speak at least some English that we will be able to communicate without a problem for the most part."

"Will they work in the cafe too?" Pudding exclaimed, circling Keiichiro excitedly.

"Perhaps. I know the older three really should start looking for jobs as soon as possible. I wonder if we kept them in the back, or just as clean-up crew...they could learn the language quickly by listening, and still be working." He glanced over at Ryou, who shrugged.

"What about pay?" Zakuro asked. "They're your siblings, after all."

"Not fully." Ryou replied. "My father had one child with each of his three wives. None of us are fully related."

"At once?" Mint asked, wrinkling her nose.

"No. My mother divorced him, Dawn's mother died, and James' mother was his wife when they died." Ryou replied.

"Oh, that's right!" Keiichiro exclaimed.

The ten other people in the room turned to stare at him expectantly.

"We still have to decide on their Japanese names! Literal translations aren't exactly necessary, they can choose." Keiichiro explained.

"This should be fun, na-no-da!" Pudding cheered, smiling happily.

"I can help them understand what the names mean." Zakuro offered. "I will be able to practice my English that way."

Ryou nodded. He turned to Dawn and James. "You don't have to take my family name if you don't want to. It's my stepfather's." Dawn nodded, her expression unreadable. James spoke for the first time since he'd arrived. "What's Smith in Japanese?" Dawn glanced at him. "There may not be an exact translation for it. We're better off choosing our own."

Keiichiro agreed, and Ryou gave Dawn a curious look, as though studying her. She looked right back at him, that challenging look back in her gaze.

Keiichiro pulled out a laptop and passed it to Dawn, who opened it and realized it was in English! She smiled up at Keiichiro and started typing. Within moments, she had a Google search for Japanese names and meanings going.

"Do we really need the meanings?" Iris asked.

"Japanese culture places a lot of importance on name meanings, so unless you want people judging you to be someone you're not, I'd look up the meanings." Dawn explained. Ryou gave her an appreciative look.

"Exactly right." Keiichiro agreed. Iris sighed. "This is going to take forever!" she predicted gloomily.

"Your name fits you as it is. That's easy. I was looking up names for characters in a story I'm writing and I already know what I want mine to be. We only need family names-which I also have suggestions for-and the boys' names. I have suggestions for AJ, but not James. Really we're only looking for James' names, and choosing ours more easily." Dawn murmured, her eyes flashing over the screen in front of her.

Ryou raised his eyebrows, and Keiichiro whistled softly. "You put a lot into your work, don't you?" he asked.

"You're a writer?" Zakuro asked in surprise. She'd been translating for the other Mews, who were feeling left out.

"Yes." Dawn replied. "I was going to be published in the school art book, but it was destroyed before it was printed. That's the only time I've been accepted though, and it was one out of four poems I submitted for consideration. Here we are."

She turned, setting the laptop on a nearby table, and her brother and two friends crowded around her.

"Guess I'm not needed." Zakuro commented, smiling. "She's very mature and resourceful."

"Tragedy will do that to a person." Keiichiro sighed.

"Ay-a-me." Dawn was saying. "It means Iris."

"It's pretty!" Iris exclaimed. "Ay-a-me. I like it! What about my last name?"

"Wait. Let the rest of us get our individual names sorted out." AJ scolded.

"That is your last name." Dawn said with a smirk. "Japanese culture puts family before individuality, therefore your family name comes first, and your individual name comes last."

Ryou started. For an American, she knew a lot about Japanese culture.

"You like Japan, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes." Dawn replied, nodding. "I used to just like the idea of samurai and ninja, but now I realize there's so much more involved, and it's all so intriguing. So I started research." She shrugged. "It's just a hobby. I never thought I'd actually get to live here."

Ryou nodded. "I guess something good came out of all this, then, right?" he teased gently, trying to get her to smile. The Mews stared at him.

"I guess." Dawn replied. No smile. Ryou sighed.

"You said you'd decided on your name already?" Zakuro asked.

"Yes. Akahana." Dawn replied.

"Not Choko?" Ryou asked.

"No. Akahana describes me more accurately."

"You like red." Zakuro stated. Dawn nodded.

AJ pointed to the screen. "I like this one. Since I was born in winter, it fits, right?"

Dawn read off the screen. "Fuyu. Yes, it works well enough. One more." She glanced at James. "Ginjiro means 'second son'. It fits."

"No!" James yelped. "I'm my mom's first son!"

"That's true. None of the numbered ones would work. Except the one about suffering."

"No!"

"All right, all right." Dawn smirked mischievously.

"What about Hama, shore, or Isamu, rock?"

"No! No! What about 'hero'?" James asked.

"Keep dreaming." Dawn replied. "That's obnoxious! I might consider something like 'survivor'."

"Yay!" James cheered.

"If I can find it." Dawn warned.

"Okay!"

"Kumakichi is 'fortunate bear'." Dawn offered after a few minutes.

"No!"

"Sheesh." The others laughed. Zakuro had been translating, along with Keiichiro. Dawn glanced over with a wry smile. "Little kids. Same everywhere!" Which of course brough more laughs, and protests from Pudding.

"Aren't you two the same age?" Keiichiro inquired. "Pudding is ten."

"So is James." Dawn replied. "Almost eleven." She turned back to James. "Takumi is 'pioneer', and Torao is 'tiger'."

"I like Torao better, but can you find survivor?"

"I'll keep trying." Dawn sighed, turning back to the the laptop screen.

"Yukio means snow boy, meaning you get or go your own way. This fits your personality best, since that's what you do best. I can't find survivor." She said a few minutes later.

"Torao or Yukio." Iris told him.

"Torao!" James yelped. "I'm a tiger!"

"That's not the reason to choose a name. Yukio fits you better. You normally have a family member choose your name. Akahana was wise, I can't argue her choice. She had a good reason. You, do not, Yukio." Ryou stated firmly. His tone said clearly that the conversation was over. James looked ready to pitch a fit, but Dawn gave him a look that served as a clear warning.

"Who wants cake?" Keiichiro offered in both languages.

"ME!"


	3. Chapter 3: The Arrival of Darkness

**A/N: Thanks again to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) and also I am dedicating this chapter to her as she is my only reviewer so far! -I do keep my promises-**

We're Humans Too!

Chapter Three: The Arrival of Darkness:

Stars glittered in the sky above. Streetlights flickered, sometimes blocking out the starlight and sometimes allowing a clearer view of the beautiful night sky.

After hearing the full story of the aliens, Akahana's attitude towards Kisshu had softened slightly, but his people's predicament did not excuse his killing so many people and ruining the lives of many more. Then again, she guessed he was about her age, and everyone knew that out of a boy and a girl the same age, the girl was lots more mature. Even if his pain had matured him more, he was still a guy, and guys in general were idiots. She'd learned this the hard way.

She was more upset with Zack, even though he was probably dead. He'd just run off and left her! Well, even if he was alive, she considered herself a single girl now. Who knew, Japanese guys seemed pretty kind, and she'd already seen some cute ones out and about. Above all, she really was still just a teenage girl.

Akahana turned from the window and went to poke her head into Yukio's room to make sure he'd gone to bed on time.

For once, he was asleep when she went in, sprawled out across his bed. She held back a snicker at his ridiculous position before covering him with blankets-even though summer was approaching, it was still cool at night. She kissed his forehead lightly before leaving.

As she stepped out into the hallway, the front door opened, and she flew down the stairs.

"It's late." she said in Japanese.

"How is it that my younger sister gets away with scolding me for late hours when she should be in bed?" Ryou replied, testing her.

"Because although you're an adult, you still require a mother." she retorted, smirking as she took his jacket and hung it up before dragging him into the dining room and forcing him to sit while she got tea ready.

"Your fluency is impressive." he told her, still speaking Japanese.

"School helps." she replied. "I still watch anime, too."

Minutes passed in silence. She brought him the finished tea, and sat down nearby. "How are the girls?" she asked.

"Whiny."

"They're probably exhausted."

Ryou sighed. "You're right. But we can't stop now. I don't know if they've noticed, but these aren't even Chimera Animals anymore. This is something completely new.

"I'm sure Zakuro, Lettuce, and probably Mint have noticed. Ichigo might have. And Pudding's not a baby." Akahana pointed out. "She takes care of all her siblings on her own. She's much more mature than a normal girl her age, no matter how she acts."

"Speaking of Zakuro, she wants you to go with her to some show she's putting on tomorrow. You and Ayame." Ryou told her.

Akahana considered it, then started to shake her head.

"Yukio could go help Pudding for the day. I'm sure she wouldn't mind some assistance. He'd be forced to speak Japanese more as well. You're horrible at teaching." Ryou commented. "You spoil him rotten."

"He's all I have left." Akahana whispered. "Ayame and Fuyu I hadn't seen since I was nine. I've changed so much since then, they don't understand. Yukio's been with me since he was born. No matter how much his mother hated me, we lived in the same house, were closer to each other's age than we were to anyone else in the house. There are things you can't not know about each other in our situation."

Ryou started. He'd never seen Akahana like this before. She normally acted like everything was perfectly fine. She'd settled in the fastest, adjusted the quickest and the best, and been everyone else's pillar of strength. Amidst all of that, he'd never once seen any sign that she was hurting. So, naturally, he'd considered her healed. But now he realized that had been all an act, carefully put together.

It made him wonder-how many nights had she cried herself to sleep, how many times on her morning runs had she stopped to look around, how many times a day did she feel the same stabbing pain in her heart that he still felt remembering his childhood?

Looking up at her, with her hair glowing red in the gentle light of the lamp, he rose and went to her chair, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap. She protested at first, but he simply ignored her and started stroking her hair.

"You're doing very well." he told her in English. She started. Normally he insisted she and the others speak Japanese as much as possible, to speed their learning. He ignored her surprise and continued. "I remember seeing the Chimera Animal in the flames of my house, and again at the Great Battle. It feels like someone's stabbing you, doesn't it?"

Akahana's eyes shone, and she nodded against his chest. She closed her eyes, and for the first time, let him see the tears fall. He just held her close, offering as much comfort as he could without suffocating her. He knew her well enough by now to know that she was strong and independent, but now he could feel she just needed someone to lean on-just like everyone else. She was human, too, after all.

After a while, her sobs quieted. They sat silently like that for a while longer, until Akahana started dozing off. Ryou was just about to suggest they go to bed when the earth trembled.

Akahana shot out of his arms and raced for Yukio's room. He woke screaming as she flew in. Ryou suddenly remembered that the destruction of their home and lives had started with earthquakes. He pulled out his phone and dialed Keiichiro as he ran after her. Ushering the two outside, he waited impatiently for his old friend to pick up. When he did, they agreed to have everyone meet at the cafe.

The two men ran for the basement, while the Americans huddled in a corner and the Mews attempted to soothe them. Pudding started doing tricks, and Lettuce went and got some cake. Zakuro stood near the door, staring out into the forming storm.

Akahana held Yukio tightly, and Ayame and Fuyu sat awkwardly near each other. Yukio was crying. The rest were simply white-faced from memories.

After a few hours, Ryou came upstairs. "Come downstairs, everyone." he ordered, glancing at his siblings. "You, too. All of you." He directed the last statement at Ayame and Fuyu.

They all stood and followed him downstairs. Keiichiro sat in front of the large screen.

"This is much worse than we first thought. These new Chimera Animals are based off of the darkness in our souls. They draw strength from all the evil in the world. The aliens did not cause this, and likely they are having trouble with it as well. The cause is a new type of parasite. In small numbers, there are people who make bad choices in the world. Fairly common, this is a problem we've always dealt with. However, we are now being targeted by these parasites for some unknown reason. We-" he was cut off as the earth beneath their feet lurched sickeningly.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Ryou roared. He scooped up Pudding and Akahana grabbed Yukio, hauling them out while everyone else raced for the door. The two youngest protested the assistance, until bright light streaked across the sky, blinding everyone momentarily. The shudders stopped, and as their eyes readjusted, the group was met with an odd, and-to some-familiar sight.

Ichigo spoke first.

"KISSHU?"


	4. Chapter 4: Allies?

**A/N: Not sure if anyone even reads any of my writing at this point, but I'm desperate for reviews here! Without them, my writing will starve to death very soon...D': If you like any of my writing, please, let me know! If you don't, please give me some advice on how to improve! A few words is all I'm asking for!  
**

**Pathetic begging over-on with the story! Thanks to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) for going over this for me! :D  
**

We're Humans Too!

Chapter Four: Allies?

Silence reigned supreme in the night. After the blinding flash of light, everything seemed darker.

"Ohaiyo, Koneko-chan!" Kisshu chirped happily. Then his face grew serious.

Akahana whirled around, hissing furiously as she lunged for Kisshu. Ryou caught her, and tackled her to the ground.

"Ne, Dawn, what are you doing here?" Kisshu asked.

"Another girl?" Pai sighed.

"TARU-TARU!" Pudding shrieked, tackling the youngest alien headlong. His protests were muffled as they tussled in the grass.

Akahana threw Ryou off her and pounced on Kisshu again. Pai moved smoothly out of her way. Kisshu shot him an annoyed look before leaping into the air. "Ne, my little flame, let's cool down some, shall we?" he called.

Akahana snarled in response. Her eyes were narrowed to slits, and she almost appeared to glow.

"She's losing it." Ayame muttered to Fuyu. He nodded, and they both stepped forward, gently restraining their friend. Kisshu drifted closer, and Ayame glared at him.

"I'd stay back if I were you." Fuyu warned.

Yukio unexpectedly launched himself at the green-haired alien, screaming "You're the one who raped my sister!"

Pai's eyes grew huge, and he whipped his head around to glare at the younger alien. "You WHAT?" he yelled, for once losing his cool.

Kisshu's face, normally pale, went, if possible, even whiter. "I-It was just a kiss!" he protested.

"He's ten..." Keiichiro broke in, embarrassed. "He doesn't know the difference yet."

"What's rape?" Taruto broke in.

Pudding turned to him. "He kissed Akahana-san even though she had a boyfriend."

"Oh..." Taruto murmured. He turned to Kisshu. "Making a habit of making girls hate you?"

Kisshu laughed nervously. "Not intentionally."

"What else did you expect?" Akahana and Ichigo yelled at the same time. Kisshu blushed. Both girls blinked in astonishment.

Pai drifted over to Akahana, studying her carefully as he stayed well back, out of her reach. "This is the one?" he asked Kisshu. The younger alien nodded.

Pai raised his eyebrows. "Good luck."

Kisshu protested indignantly, and Pai simply chuckled. Lettuce blushed a deep red as his gaze met hers. They both quickly looked away.

Keiichiro wasn't the only one to notice. But they all had more pressing matters to discuss.

Ryou stepped forward. "Why have you returned?"

"Is Earth not also targeted by the darkness?" Pai asked.

"So your planet is, as well."

"Did the Mew Aqua help?" Akahana asked. Everyone turned to her in shock. Her eyes were on Pai, clear and honest.

He paused, then eyed her carefully as he replied, "Yes. Our planet is now much better-even with the darkness invading. How long it will stay that way, we aren't sure. We were elected to return and propose an alliance."

Ryou nodded. "On what terms?"

"Unless you have means of contacting the heads of all your countries..." Pai began. Ryou was already shaking his head. "Work with what you have and we'll provide the rest. Many of our people are warriors-even the young ones." He gestured to Taruto. "It was necessary."

Keiichiro nodded. "How does this benefit you?" he asked. "We cannot travel to your planet..."

"We can. We will take you with us!" Taruto exclaimed. Pudding squealed delightedly. "Pudding gets to see Taru-Taru's home!"

"That's another reason we're here." Pai admitted.

Ryou frowned. "Seeing your home?"

"Not exactly." Kisshu broke in. He glanced swiftly at Akahana, who glared at him and hissed. He flinched and quickly looked away. He almost seemed close to tears. Ichigo looked concerned, and reached out towards him. Pai caught her gaze and shook his head. He looked up at Ryou, who clearly hadn't noticed-and wouldn't care. Then he turned to Keiichiro, gesturing towards Kisshu. "That's the other reason we're here."

Keiichiro nodded. "Can we go somewhere more private?" Pai asked. Ryou beckoned everyone back inside, judging that the tremors had stopped for now.

He turned on a mini TV once they got inside and glanced briefly at the news. Apparently the tremors had spread all over the world since the first one that evening-happening quite frequently. The old rumors about the world ending in 2012 were starting to resurface.

Ryou snorted and turned the TV off. Akahana sat at one of the tables, and Keiichiro brought some cake for her and the girls. Taruto helped himself until Pai scolded him for not asking first. Akahana smiled and passed Taruto another piece. "It's okay." she said, laughing at the delight on the young alien's face. Pai sighed.

"She spoils children. Just warning you." Ryou told him.

"So I've noticed." Pai replied, amused.

"So..." Keiichiro began. He nodded in Kisshu's direction. The golden-eyed alien was still pouting.

Pai inclined his head. "The same goes for Taruto." Keiichiro looked shocked. Pai sighed-again.

"It is customary for our kind to withhold our first kiss until marriage-therefore, our first kiss has become special to us." Ichigo gulped nervously. She and Akahana glanced at each other, neither liking where this was going-one of them would likely get stuck with Kisshu.

"I believe Dawn was first." Pai commented offhandedly. "Which makes this difficult."

"Hell yeah it does!" Akahana shouted. "He killed my entire family, my friends, and my boyfriend!"

"Please, Akiyama-san, calm down..." Keiichiro said soothingly. Akahana was on the verge of losing it.

Ryou stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her to the chair. He nodded at Pai. "Continue." Pai hid a smirk and carried on.

"With the giving of the first kiss, a bond is formed. Mentally and physically. Great distances will generally prove fatal over long periods of time. Emotions and thoughts are passed through the bond, as well as injury and strength. In short, they are made equal in every way possible."

"So you mate for life." Keiichiro stated.

"There is no breaking the bond, apart from death." Pai confirmed.

"How does this apply to Taru-Taru?" Pudding asked. Taruto blushed.

"He has refused to share, but I suspect he may have kissed you." Pai told her.

"I was trying to wake her up!" Taruto yelped.

"You're stuck with her now." Pai told him.

"At least she won't try to kill you." Kisshu muttered.

Everyone turned to look at him. Akahana narrowed her eyes again. Kisshu raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. He looked Akahana straight in the eye. "Honestly, Kouen-chan, I didn't know what this would mean. I knew it was customary for the first kiss to take place after marriage, but I did not know nor realize what it meant or what happened. I never meant to force you into anything. Honestly? I just thought you were beautiful, and brave, and strong. Everything I wanted in a mate. I wanted to make you remember me, so I could come back and tell you how I really felt, and if not, well, you hadn't lost anything."

Akahana's eyes were still narrowed, but she didn't try to kill him, even when Ryou cautiously released her. She simply stared at him thoughtfully. "And you expected me to accept the fact that you basically killed me?"

Kisshu flinched, eyes widening. Akahana continued. "Face it, you took-and ruined-my life forever. Doesn't that count as some form of death? The pain was bad enough."

Kisshu was shaking now. "G...Gomenasai." he whispered. He turned away, but not fast enough. Everyone in the room was watching him-they all saw the tears running down his face. He fled.

After a few minutes of shocked silence, Ichigo spoke. "I always figured he just had a crush on me, but you, Akahana-san...I think he loves you. For real. And if he would do anything for me, with just a crush, I think...if you wanted him to, he'd die. Or live in eternal torment."

"Which is what he's facing right now." Pai broke in. He turned to Akahana. "You must understand this, if nothing else. Separation equals pain. So does the way you're treating him. Together, it may just kill him. And whether you like it or not, he's part of a team trying to save your entire world-and everything you have left."

Akahana unconsciously reached for Yukio, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He leaned up and whispered in his sister's ear. She shook her head.

"Even if I did accept this, I don't know him, he doesn't know me."

"Time will help." Pai stated calmly. "But it is your choice. Please choose carefully." He turned away from her, then glanced over his shoulder. "I shouldn't say this, but...Kisshu is like a brother to me, as much as Taruto. I don't like seeing him hurt so badly."

"Neither do I!" Taruto broke in, glaring at Akahana.

"And I don't like seeing Yukio raised like me!" Akahana shrieked, finally losing her cool. "You each have the nerve to threaten me for disliking him, but he killed my only living parent, my friends, my _boyfriend_! He killed my best friends' families! Do you think I like seeing them hurt? Do you think I like seeing my little brother have his mother stolen from him, the way mine was from me? Except I was two, and have no memories, he's almost eleven, and will remember her! Those memories give him nightmares! Do you think I _like_ seeing him cry? Sure, he's annoying as hell, but he's my little brother!"

She paused for breath. Then stated her trump card.

"Do you think I appreciate him triggering my own death?"

Pai froze. "What are you talking about?" Ryou asked her nervously.

"My mom died of cancer. The radiation he caused that night triggered the same disease in me. The doctors say I only have five months left to live." Akahana stated.

"Why wasn't I told this?" Ryou roared.

"Would it matter?" Akahana asked. "There is no cure. All I wanted was for Yukio to have someone to look after him after I left."

Ryou sat down hard. Pai simply stared at Akahana. Pudding started crying, and went to hug her, while Taruto looked on the verge of tears and the Mews stood in silence. Keiichiro gently took Akahana's shoulder. He looked at Pai. "You said this bond connects them in every way, correct?"

Pai nodded. "When she dies, Kisshu dies." He looked at Akahana. "What he did that night was therefore suicide. And now you bear his death inside your body. Do you think he appreciates that? Or we do? Or his parents would, if they weren't dead?"

"Kisshu's an orphan?" Ichigo asked.

"His parents were caught by a collapsing ridge. He barely escaped-his father had him at the time. He was a little over a year old."

Silence filled the cafe. Even Keiichiro sensed that the mood was too dark for cake to solve anything.

"...If Mew Aqua can bring people back to life, can't it cure cancer?" Ichigo asked.

"We destroyed the last of it in the Great Battle, remember?" Mint retorted.

Ichigo turned to Ryou. "You said that you believed their people created Mew Aqua. Couldn't we search the ruins and let them find out how?"

Pai's eyes widened again. Taruto yelped. "_We_ made Mew Aqua?"

"Your ancestors on Earth did." Ryou said, sighing. "I also believe that your ancestors and ours are one and the same. But that is beside the point."

"Topic to be discussed later." Pai agreed pointedly.

Kisshu silently appeared in the doorway, listening carefully. "How much of that did you hear?" Akahana asked quietly when she noticed him.

"Enough." he replied, looking in her eyes. She flinched and dropped her gaze. His eyes widened slightly, surprised. He glanced cautiously at Pai, uncertain and shy. The latter shrugged at him. Keiichiro nodded encouragingly. Kisshu took a deep breath and drifted closer to Akahana, until he was close enough to gently rest a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, and he shot backwards, falling over a chair and smacking his head on first the table, then the floor. Akahana's eyes were wide, and as Kisshu didn't move, people started rushing towards him, offering help. Akahana got up and went to kneel beside him, giggling quietly. Ryou stopped dead and stared at her.

Pai looked at the blonde questioningly. Ryou shook his head. "This is the first time I've ever seen her smile a real, genuinely happy smile. Normally it's just happy enough that people won't worry, or ask questions." Pai nodded. "They were meant to be."

Ryou stared at him. "I thought this was all a mistake. Kisshu didn't know what he was setting in motion." he stated suspiciously.

Pai shook his head. "He didn't. But when one of our kind meets someone who...I don't want to say matches, but...is their other half, exactly, sort of like soul mates-born to be together, it becomes extremely hard to stay focused. He couldn't kill her that night. He couldn't resist kissing her that night. The Kisshu from before he met her was so completely focused on annihilating the humans, he wouldn't have looked at Ichigo once."

Ryou raised his eyebrows. Pai nodded. "She changed him, from the moment he saw her. I don't know what she's feeling, I don't believe your kind has anything like this, she may hate him with all of her being. It's possible. We don't know for sure how this works-whether it's whoever we would be happiest with, or whoever complements our genes perfectly-creating the best chances of our races' survival. I have no idea, I've never studied anything like this before. I thought it was a legend, it has become so rare. But apparently Kisshu's parents were the first to experience it since we left Earth."

Keiichiro had stopped to listen, and now asked, "Kisshu's father wasn't in the incident, was he?"

"No. They was with me and my parents, waiting for his mother to arrive. It was his naming ceremony...his father was holding him, and suddenly went white...dropped...he was dead before he hit the ground. My mother had to take care of Kisshu-he was in his father's arms, and fell...he has a scar where his head was almost severed when his neck hit a table. He barely survived. Later, we found out about the collapse, found his mother's body."

"Found Amethyst." Kisshu broke in. He stood nearby, Akahana at his side. For once, not trying to kill him, although she still looked uneasy, and wouldn't let Yukio anywhere near him.

Now she looked up at him, confused. "Amethyst?"

_Arranged marriage? Shit! That...would be bad! _Akahana could picture her having to fight for someone she didn't even want against someone who maybe did...one of his own kind.

_ No. My little sister._

Akahana's eyes widened. "Little sister?" she echoed.

"What?" Keiichiro asked.

Pai eyed the two carefully. Then he spoke. "Yes, Kisshu's little sister. Currently waiting for us to return. Anyway, as the bond grows stronger...the possible distance between the two gets smaller, and can exist for less time. I also forgot to mention that they'll be able to feel each other's emotions, hear their thoughts...Rumor has it that these can be controlled. But not without practice."

"I'd noticed it was happening." Akahana muttered quietly. Pai smirked. Kisshu dropped his gaze to the floor again, blushing, embarrassment radiating from him in obvious waves.

"Does it ever stop decreasing?" Keiichiro asked.

"Yes." Kisshu replied. "My parents could go to opposite sides of our planet and be fine. But different planets would be out of the question."

"So it's one or the other?" Akahana asked, looking around nervously.

Kisshu nodded.

"Not necessarily." Pai cut in. "You could travel between the two."

_Oh._ They thought simultaneously.

Taruto yawned. Pudding was already asleep with her head on his shoulder.

"We should all go rest." Keiichiro said suddenly. He looked at Pai. "Is it better for Pudding and Taruto to stay close or far from each other?"

"It shouldn't matter-they get along fine." Pai replied. "They might appreciate time together to get to know one another, and get used to the idea, that's all."

Keiichiro nodded. "I'll take them to Pudding's house then, if that's all right." Pai nodded.

Ryou sighed. "It's up to Akahana if Kisshu stays with us or not." They all looked at Akahana.

_I'll behave._ His voice echoed in her head.

She sighed. "All right." _Don't expect anything more._

_ I don't. I didn't expect this._

She immediately squashed her growing sympathy and stormed off. Kisshu flinched as a door slammed.

Ryou caught his eye. "It'll be okay." he murmured. "It's just a lot for her to absorb." Kisshu nodded weakly. Ryou picked up Yukio, who was also asleep, and called out "Akahana! We're leaving!"

"I know." Came Akahana's voice from the doorway-opposite the direction she'd gone moments ago. Kisshu gaped at her, then turned to Pai.

"Yes, she may gain our abilities. But, remember how long it took you to learn teleportation?" Pai teased. Kisshu blushed.

_Cute._ Akahana's voice commented in his head. He jumped, looking up. She smirked, then turned and walked outside.

Soon after, everyone else had gone home. Except Lettuce and Pai.

"Ano..." Lettuce began. "I'm sure my parents won't mind...you can stay with us if you like?" she offered. Pai looked over at her, startled. He met her gaze calmly for a long minute, then nodded. "I'd like that. Arigato." Lettuce smiled, and they, too, left.


	5. Chapter 5: Dreams of Pain

**A/N: Dedicated to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) and Wolves Run Free, for beta'ing and reviewing-respectively! This story wouldn't be continued if it weren't for you two! :D  
**

We're Human Too!

Chapter Five: Dreams of Pain:

_Buildings collapsed. A car blew up in their f ace, spraying flames everywhere. Burning oil splattered the ground nearby. A girl's hand wiped sweat off their forehead, their chest pressed into the ground...Up, they were running, one body, moving as one. Running down the street, turning right, the gas station was a beacon of flame, towering towards the sky, the greasy restaurants in a similar state across the street, a street that now had giant cracks in it, spraying oil and water everywhere from the broken pipes. They ran on, jumping the huge gaps over endless space, down to the center of the Earth like they were nothing. Because they didn't care if they lived or died anymore. Their friends were gone, their family most likely so. Why should they care anymore? Turning again, blinded by pain and tears, the neighborhood was up in flames, heat searing, scorching, burning...Dropping to their knees, their house was gone, their childhood, their family...All gone. All because of...__**him.**_

_ A soft cry, off to the side, calling weakly for help. "James!" They cried, standing, stumbling over to the ditch. The dog crouched low, snarling. "It's okay, Sierra. It's okay, puppydog." they said, holding out their hand. The dog accepted them, recognized them. "James..." He lay on the ground, but seeing them, struggled to his feet. "Dawn...they...they..."_

"DAWN!"

Akahana sat bolt upright in bed. She rushed down the hall to Yukio's room, taking him in her arms and cradling him until his sobs stopped. Ryou brought tea, then went back to bed. Akahana thanked him quietly as he left. The only difference in this routine was Ryou bumping into Kisshu on his way out.

"Just a nightmare." Ryou murmured.

"No tea for her?" Kisshu asked.

"She doesn't have nightmares." Ryou replied.

"Then why was I dreaming about her running home that night, when she found Yukio alive?" Kisshu retorted. "She's lying to you! She just doesn't want you to worry-but you fell for it!"

Ryou stopped dead. "You saw her dream?" he asked.

"Yes..." Kisshu's voice broke. He hadn't even realized he was crying.

"Great." Ryou muttered. "It went from one to three." He sighed, then went to go make more tea. And call Keiichiro.

Kisshu paused on the threshold of Yukio's room. "Dawn?" he called softly.

Akahana jumped. _No one calls me that anymore..._

_ Would you rather I didn't?_

_ I don't know._ Kisshu could feel her yearning for him to just go away, leave her alone. He turned and went back to the room Ryou had given him for the time being, wishing he could curl up on his side like Akahana had before she'd been woken by Yukio's screaming. It had comforted her...he wondered if it would work for him. But his ears made it awkward and impossible. Sighing, he rolled back onto his back, and slipped into the semi-conscious state the aliens used to rest their bodies.

But some of her human tendencies had already slipped into him. He wasn't sleeping as humans did, but he did dream. For the first time in his life.

_A creature of pure darkness stood before him, reaching towards him, tempting him, trying to drag him into itself, to take him for its own, and use his power to kill the one he loved. He turned to her, her red hair flying in the wind. That boy...the one who'd run that night, left her to her fate, reached out to her from the darkness. He pulled her away, and she turned to him. "You killed me. You took my life from me." she whispered. "What do I have left?"_

_ "You have Yukio, your brother." he told her. As he spoke, Yukio reached out of the darkness, crying out for her. "Dawn! Dawn! Look!"_

_ Faces appeared, all crying out for her to join them, join this evil monster. Faces she recognized through their bond as her friends, her dearest friends, her parents, her cousins, her aunts and uncles __and grandparents. People she knew and loved. People who'd died that night-because of him._

_ "Please...don't go! Stay! Here, with me." he begged, his heart breaking._

_ "They loved me." she replied. "You killed me. You took my life."_

_ "Please...Kouen-chan, don't go! It's not them! It's the evil! Don't listen to it! Please! Come with me!" He pulled her away, towards the bright light of the day, towards Ryou and Keiichiro, Pai and Taruto, and the Mews. Amethyst was there, crying for him to leave her, leave his only love, and go with her, go home with her._

_ He turned away, crying now, and pleaded once more. "Dawn, honey, please..." Desperate, he kissed her. She took his sai from his hand, and cut his throat with it. "You killed me. I killed you." she said quietly. "Now we are even. Now we are in love." as the darkness reached out and enveloped her, and she dissipated, until she was gone. Gone...forever._

"KISSHU! If you don't SHUT UP I am going to throw you out in the street!" Ryou roared.

Kisshu sat straight up with a yelp, covering his ears and cringing. He lay back down as the room spun around him and closed his eyes.

"Ryou, shut up or I'll throw you out of the room. His hearing's more sensitive than ours-that probably damaged his ears."

That voice...she was still here! Kisshu opened his eyes. Akahana sat next to him on the bed, one cool hand resting lightly on his forehead, as she leaned over him, past Ryou, her other hand lightly on his bare midriff to keep her from lying on top of him. He shivered. She drew back, smiling gently.

"Gomen...I know, my hands are cold." she apologized. He shook his head, but didn't bother explaining. It would only make her hate him more, for loving her like this.

Ryou sighed heavily. "My house, Akahana."

"You're never here-I run the house." she retorted, teasing gently. She reached up to lightly smack him on the head. "Go on. You need your beauty rest."

Ryou snorted, squeezing her shoulders gently in some semblance of a hug before leaving. Kisshu's eyes widened at the gesture, and Akahana laughed.

"I know, it's hard to believe, but he does care. Here." she said, holding out a cup of tea. "I couldn't get Ryou to help me, and, well, it's not a custom where I grew up, so...it's my best effort." she finished, blushing.

Kisshu took the cup with a murmured "Arigato." taking a sip carefully before smiling. "It's good." he told her. She blushed even more, then rose.

"Are you all right?" He nodded, surprised she'd asked. "Then if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed." She smiled wryly, then waved. "Ja-ne." she said over her shoulder as she left, closing the door behind her. Kisshu looked at the clock on the bedside table. 4:30am. She'd been up all night!

_Because of me._ He thought guiltily. He wasn't tired anymore, and wanted to make it up to her...somehow. So he came up with a plan. Smiling to himself, he finished the tea-which really wasn't all that bad-and went downstairs.


	6. Chapter 6: Surprise!

**A/N: Dedicated to Azzie(Inkfire) for beta'ing and Wolves Run Free for reviewing and input! Although I think I'd already written this by the time you mentioned Kisshu's lack of confidence, I am adjusting in the chapters I am writing now. ;D Enjoy!  
**

We're Human Too!

Chapter Six: Surprise!

_Fire...Flames everywhere. Normally she loved fire, playing with it, and all. But not like this. "James!" she screamed._

And sat bolt upright in bed. As she slowed her breathing to a somewhat normal pace, she realized the smell of smoke from her dream-er, nightmare-was still lingering in her nostrils.

And then Akahana heard the smoke alarms going off.

Leaping out of bed, she fell face first on the floor before kicking herself free from her blankets as she crawled ungracefully across the floor, and flying haphazardly down the stairs.

She stopped dead in the doorway to the kitchen, staring at the alien humming quietly to himself as he drifted above the smoke, not bothered as she would be by an inability to breathe.

_What the HELL are you doing? Trying to kill us?_

He froze, looking guilty. "I was just-"

She shoved past him and ran for a fire extinguisher. Not finding one, and cursing her older half-brother's inability to be prepared, she ended up throwing buckets of water on the stove.

Turning, she glared at the innocent-faced alien, then dove for him. He quickly shot over her head, and ripples formed in the air around him.

_Oh no_ "YOU DON'T!" she shrieked, leaping up and grabbing his ankle. She yanked, and he fell, startled out of his teleportation, and slammed his head on the edge of the counter. Grimacing, he slid sideways and fell to the floor. She followed, falling on top of him, her hip slamming into his stomach. He yelped, then moaned in pain. She might not be heavy, but she'd been moving pretty quickly. Her momentum had been enough to hurt. That and she was so skinny her bones were very prominent...and painful.

Akahana grimaced, rubbing her collarbone where a nasty bruise was forming. She sighed. _More cancer. Damn. It's always his fault, too! _Completely and conveniently forgetting she was the one who'd jumped on him.

She twisted sideways, only to find her face less than an inch from his, as she tried to rise and accidentally ended up straddling his waist before realizing what was happening. They both froze.

"Ne, Kouen-chan, not that I'm complaining, but...this floor isn't exactly the best place for this sort of..." he broke off as she smacked him sharply, her cheeks turning about as red as her hair, and she sprang lightly off him.

"In your dreams, perv!" she retorted.

"If I recall correctly, it was _you_ who conveniently pulled me from the air, and _you_ who placed yourself in such a promising way atop me. I initiated nothing." he protested innocently.

She snorted. "Do me a favor and clean this up before Ryou gets home. I'm going to get dressed."

At that comment, he really looked at her-possibly for the first time.

She was wearing a blue tank top with little flowers on the left strap, and ruffles around the edge of the low neckline. It was extremely tight, and he could clearly tell she hadn't slept in a bra. Besides that, she was wearing brightly colored splotched shorts that just barely covered her underwear. Her golden red hair was hanging loosely down her back in gorgeous, flowing ripples that made him long to run his fingers through it and play with it. As she turned, the sunlight hit it just right, making it look like she was glowing-like her hair was on fire. As she sighed and looked out the window, closing her eyes and enjoying the gentle sunlight on her skin, he took the moment to memorize her.

Everything. From her brilliantly colored hair to every last freckle scattered across her face and body that her rather revealing outfit didn't hide from him. Even the tan lines where her amazing tan ended and her natural skin tone began. She was almost as pale as he was!

Her long, ebony eyelashes curled against her cheekbones, and her slightly round face looked relaxed, for once, open and easy to read. The way her hair fell behind her ear revealed a slightly pointed tip, which made Kisshu wonder if her race really could be descended from his kind, abandoned on the 'dying' planet.

As he shifted, the floor creaked, and her eyes snapped open. For just an instant, some of that relaxed look remained, and her eyes shone a deep amber color that got his heart racing before she turned to him. Illuminated from behind by the rising sun, she looked like what he'd always imagined angels to be.

"Ne," she snapped her fingers in his face. "Quit staring and start cleaning. I'll be back in a minute." So saying, she disappeared back upstairs.

Kisshu buried his face in his hands. "Oh no..." he moaned. "She's going to hate me for sure!"

Leaping up, he rushed around, trying to make everything look nice and clean before she got back.

Akahana came down the stairs, fully dressed, to a shocking sight. The kitchen area looked brand-new!

"Kisshu?" she called. "What on earth...did you _do_?"

"You told me to clean it..." he replied, floating effortlessly next to her. He looked worried.

"Yeah, but...this is the cleanest I've ever seen it! Human guys have issues with cleanliness! This is amazing!" she cried, her eyes sparkling.

_Anything to see that smile._

Akahana started. Then she frowned. "Ne, why can I only sometimes hear your thoughts? Pai made it sound like it was constant."

Kisshu jumped guiltily, knowing she'd heard his comment about her smile, and he blushed. "Umm...well, I'm not sure. You'd have to ask Pai, but I think it's like everything else with the bond...grows stronger over time."

Akahana tilted her head. "I'm not sure which is worse." she muttered.

Kisshu glanced at her, puzzled.

"Easing into it, or starting out full strength." the strawberry blonde girl clarified.

"Oh." he thought for a moment, his golden eyes serious for once. "I would think it's better this way."

"I wasn't asking you." she snapped, grabbing a bag and heading out the door. "Wait here for Ryou." she told him before leaving.

_That's it?_

For the first time, she felt his emotions radiating through the bond. He was upset, sad, pained, hurt, and almost on the verge of tears. Understanding hit her like a face full of bricks. _He's lonely. He's never been loved before, not like this, he doesn't know what he's doing or if he's right...and he really just wants me to be happy. And yet...he killed my family! My friends!_

_ Although it sounds like he didn't have a choice..._

Shaking these thoughts out of her head, she continued on her way. She was going to be late for rehearsal at this rate!

Back in the house the young woman had just left, a beautiful green-haired boy drifted slowly to the ground, fighting with himself-to chase her or not.

If it were Ichigo, he'd be out the door already, without thinking about it. But her...Dawn, he still thought of her as...she was different. He'd hurt her beyond teasing, a deep wound that scarred her heart forever. And yet, he'd had the nerve to bind her to him for life, her only lover.

_Baka! Baka!_ Kisshu mentally cursed himself. _Why am I even trying? She'll hate me no matter what I do and there's nothing anyone can do...I'm a baka and nothing can change that!_

For the first time in years, he let the tears run down his pale cheeks, dropping to his knees in the entryway. He didn't even notice the door open, or Ryou walk in.

He did notice when the man sighed and gently laid his hand on the alien's shoulder. "Come with me." Ryou told him. Kisshu looked up, surprised at the gentle note in the older male's voice.

"Clean up first." Ryou ordered, then went to check on Yukio. Kisshu quickly wiped his face and stood waiting by the door. Ryou came out and gestured him down the sidewalk. "It's not far." he said simply. Kisshu just nodded, falling into step beside the blonde. He didn't even ask where they were going. His heart was too busy breaking into a million tiny pieces.

Kisshu trailed slowly along behind Ryou, in too much emotional pain to care about much of anything. He did slightly notice music growing steadily louder, and with a start he realized where Ryou was taking him.

"A music festival?" the gold-eyed alien asked in shock.

"Hai." Ryou replied, beckoning him inside.

"Demo...Nonde?"

Ryou smirked. "You'll see."

Kisshu shrugged to himself and followed Ryou in the back way. "Ne...aren't we supposed to go around front?" he asked as a pair of security guards approached them.

They nodded to Ryou in respect. "They're prepping in the usual room." one of the guards said, giving Kisshu a curious look. Ryou laid a hand on the alien's arm. "

"He's a friend of Fusichou's." the blonde said calmly. The guards nodded.

"All three of them are known for picking up the oddest friends..."one of them murmured to the other as they left.

"Fusichou?" Kisshu asked. Ryou shook his head.

"You'll see." he repeated. He led Kisshu along until they came to an empty dressing room. Ryou frowned. "They should be here...His eyes widened. "Unless it's their turn!" He grabbed Kisshu and pulled him out of the dressing room, running until he found a way into the crowd. He shoved Kisshu along until they reached a spot that wasn't as crowded as the rest of the huge room, where they could see the stage.

A few stagehands were setting up as Ryou shooed a couple away from some seats before plopping down in one. Kisshu glanced enviously at the happy couple before settling in the seat next to 'Blondie'.

"So?" he asked, bored already.

"We wait." Ryou replied. He closed his eyes. Kisshu sighed frustratedly.

"How is this going to help me win her over?"

"I'm her older brother. I know things. Shut up." Ryou retorted. The lights dimmed and his eyes flickered open.

Brightly colored lights flashed across the room, and people started screaming.

_"And now...for the band you've all been waiting for...Legend!" _A deep male voice yelled over the speakers.

Kisshu clapped his hands over his ears. "OOOOWWW!" he yelped, glaring at Ryou, who actually looked guilty for once.

"Gomen...Akahana-chan was right, then. Your hearing is much more sensitive than ours..."

Kisshu ignored the rest of what he was saying as the music started playing and the 'band' leapt out on stage.

His eyes widened as he took in the group. His Akahana-chan was right front and center, striding confidently across the stage, stretching out her long legs, hips swaying, eyes narrowed sassily.

She was dressed in red and black, with red flame-like birds curving elegantly across her body against a black background. She wore a tank top with a low neckline that ended in a shallow V-neck, a short miniskirt that fluttered out behind her, short little black pants underneath, and knee-high heeled boots. A red sash was tied in a fancy ribbon around her waist, the ends trailing out behind her. Her eyes were lined in black, swooping out towards her temples, where they formed a pattern with some red makeup, echoing the pattern of flame-birds. Her lips shone a glossy red, and her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink. Her eyelids sparkled red, and her nails were red and orange, like flames.

Kisshu didn't pay much attention to the other two-the overall color seemed to be black, with each having a signature color in patterns on top. The other girl was blue, the boy green. Akahana was red-well, it was in her name.

"Fusichou!" someone nearby yelled. The crowd went crazy as the opening chords rang out.

**Ne-Hey**

**Baka-Idiot  
**

**Hai-Yes  
**

**Demo...Nonde?-But...why?  
**

**Fusichou-Phoenix  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Entranced

**A/N: Dedicated to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) and Wolves Run Free for beta'ing and reviewing respectively. :D  
**

**Lyrics are "Poison" by Groove Coverage and I know they're in English and the anime is set in Japan, as is this story. They're from America, and there are people who speak English in Japan, I'm sure. And it's a fanfiction. :P  
**

We're Human Too!

Chapter Seven: Entranced:

Akahana strode confidently onto the stage, feeling power rush through her body as the opening chords rang over the now-silent auditorium.

She stopped, planting her feet, and waited for her cue. She didn't need to look at Ayame and Fuyu to know they would follow and do their parts. They knew this routine by heart.

The downbeat hit, and Akahana raised her arms, looking out at the top of the auditorium, keeping the confidently sassy look in her eyes and expression.

"_Your cruel device, Your blood, like ice, One look could kill, My pain, your thrill_..." Akahana felt her body start moving on its own, as if by instinct, as her muscle memory took over. She strutted, leapt, and twirled across the stage, feeling the meaning flow over her in a new way...This song could fit her and Kisshu perfectly..._Except I want nothing to do with him! NO-THING!_

"_I want to love you but I better not touch, I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop, I want to kiss you but I want it too much, I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison_..."  
Kisshu stared up at the stage through the flashing bright lights that some crazy people were waving around on the scene. They were distracting him! And he couldn't get distracted...this was a side of his little flame he'd never seen before. Confident, strong. It was clear she loved music. A lot.

"_You're poison running through my veins, You're poison, I don't want to break these chains_..."  
She leapt back to the center of the stage and planted her feet again, swaying slightly before thrusting her arms out in front of her to start the next verse.

"_Your mouth, so hot, Your web, I'm caught, Your skin, so wet, Black lace on sweat_..."

Twisting again, she flowed smoothly into the chorus as the crowd began standing up and cheering. Some were singing along. Her voice soared above them all, ringing through the air.

Kisshu couldn't believe it. Not only did she perform, it looked like she was very popular, if not famous! Why hadn't he known this before?  
"_I want to love you but I better not touch, I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop, I want to kiss you but I want it too much, I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison_..."  
"Ryou-san?" he whispered.

"What?" the older male hissed back, clearly annoyed.

"How long has she been famous?"

"Since just after she moved here. I heard her singing one day, and told Zakuro-san, who set up an audition for her. She doesn't like people knowing she's famous, she keeps her identities separate, except for the Mews."

"Why not?" Kisshu asked, confused. Ryou shot him an exasperated look.

"_You're poison running through my veins, You're poison, I don't want to break these chains_..."  
"Think about it." Ryou muttered. "If people knew her true identity-she's already famous for her survival, and that makes people suspicious. They think the survivors are aliens-how else would they survive something that killed so many others? What makes them special?"

"_Run deep inside my veins, Its burning deep inside my veins, One look could kill, My pain, your thrill_..."  
"And if people knew, all kinds of boys would be chasing her, forcing her into situations she'd rather avoid at all costs. She wants someone who loves _her_, not her fame or money."

Kisshu nodded. He could understand that. Fake love wasn't worth anything.

"_I want to love you but I better not touch, I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop, I want to kiss you but I want it too much, I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison_..."  
They watched the climax of the song in silence, Akahana sent flying through the air by someone Kisshu now recognized as Fuyu. Ayame was off to the side as well, doing her own routine that reflected the movements of the other two. She ran up and joined them as they posed for the ending.

"_You're poison running through my veins, You're poison, I don't want to break these __chains...Poison...I want to love you but I better not touch, I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop, I want to kiss you but I want it too much, I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison...You're poison running through my veins, You're poison, I don't want to break these chains_..."  
Applause rang throughout the auditorium as the last notes faded, ringing clearly through the air. Ryou and Kisshu stood up as well.

As Akahana held perfectly still, supported from below by Fuyu, and holding tightly to Ayame, beside her, Kisshu realized this was the first time he'd seen her truly happy. Amused, yes, but happy? She looked beautiful, her eyes sparkling in the lights, smiling with this carefree look, like she believed she could do anything.

He'd give anything to see her look like this more often. To see that look in her eyes when she saw him.

Sighing, Kisshu admitted to himself that probably wasn't going to happen.

"Say hello to our next band..." the announcer cried. Ryou tugged on Kisshu's arm.

"They're done, let's go."

"What? Only one song?" Kisshu asked. He didn't know much about human concerts, but he was pretty sure one song wasn't enough.

"It's a competition. They might get an encore later." Ryou explained.

"Oh."

"Come on!" Ryou pulled Kisshu backstage, and the security guards waved them past again.

Back to the room full of clothes...except that now the three stars were there.


	8. Chapter 8: Secrets

**A/N: Dedicated to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) and Wolves Run Free for input and support!**

We're Human Too!

Chapter Eight: Secrets:

Bright light filled a large room, decorated in black, red, green, and blue. The overall color was black, and certain sections had overlaying red, green, or blue. Others had all three.

There were three large mirrors, each with a different layered color, and bright lights. They were covered in pictures of what looked like performances and parties. Snacks, makeup, and hair products covered two of the counters in front of the mirrors, the third looked more masculine.

Music played softly in the background, and three voices could be heard laughing and yelling. There was a loud thud, and someone yelped in pain. The other two voices laughed.

Kisshu looked around with wide eyes, then caught sight of Akahana twirling out from behind a rack of clothing that formed an aisle to the back of the room. With a smirk, he shot off down the aisle and wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning with her playfully. She shrieked, twisting away from him. He didn't let go.

He also didn't expect her to slam her elbow into his abdomen, knocking the breath out of him and sufficiently surprising him into letting go.

"Ouch, Kouen-chan. That hurt!" he whined.

"Grow up!" she retorted. "What the hell was that for?"

"Couldn't help it." he smirked. She was cute when she was annoyed.

She just raised an eyebrow. "Self-control is greatly valued here."

"_Burrrnnnn..._" someone cried. Kisshu looked up to see Ayame sitting on Fuyu's lap. He blinked. Wait, what?

Ayame blushed bright red and scrambled off Fuyu, leaping elegantly to her feet and stalking off in the opposite direction. The boys looked at each other, confused. Akahana sighed. Everyone ignored Ryou as he came over to lean against a clothes rack. Until, that is, it moved, and he fell over.

Akahana couldn't help laughing, she couldn't breathe, and tears ran down her cheeks. Kisshu stopped laughing long enough to make sure she wasn't actually crying, which Ayame seemed to think was cute, and Akahana went after her screaming bloody murder, which caused everyone else to laugh even more. Fuyu helped Ryou to his feet and they went to go sit down and laugh as Kisshu floated above the clothing racks to watch the battle between the girls.

This continued for a while, before Akahana successfully tied Ayame to a chair and sauntered back over to where Kisshu lounged in her chair.

"Ne, omoi." she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "Move."

"Iya." he replied lazily.

"What happened?" she asked.

Kisshu just shot her a curious look, opening one golden eye just a crack.

_He's actually kinda cute..._Akahana blushed and squashed that thought. Kisshu smirked, and she knew he'd heard it.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

Akahana snorted, tossing her strawberry-blonde hair back over her shoulder. "Your newfound confidence is what. You used to cringe every time I spoke to you."

"Oh...that." Kisshu smirked. "Well, you see, I did some thinking..."

"Always a bad sign." Ryou muttered. Kisshu glared at him.

"And?" Akahana prompted.

"I figured, first: even if you really did hate me as much as you pretend to, you're stuck with me anyway. Although I'd prefer it if you didn't hate me, I'm not changing myself for you. I may have hurt you pretty badly, but unintentionally, and I've tried to make up for it. There are also repercussions to me, as well. I think that debt is paid. Second, I can hear your thoughts. You're lying to yourself and everyone else constantly with this facade of hating me. And-" he was cut off as Akahana's eyes narrowed. He'd gone WAY too far with the second one.

She stepped closer, eyes sparkling dangerously. "Listen carefully, _alien_." she snarled.

"Akahana-" Fuyu began.

"Kila!" Ayame blurted out. "Kiere!"

Akahana ignored them both, although Ryou gave Ayame a very strange look, and Fuyu threatened to strangle her.

Kisshu backed away from his bonded as fast as he could, slamming himself back against a wall. Akahana crouched slightly, then sprang, appearing suddenly before him with a cold, murderous look in her eyes. She pressed something sharp to his throat, and hissed "It's bad enough you're in my head, reading my thoughts, invading my privacy, but you do _not_ repeat anything. You do _not_ tell others!"

Kisshu swallowed nervously. The return of his confident, cocky behavior had been short-lived.

Akahana's eyes widened, and she fainted against Kisshu's chest. He caught her carefully, trying not to get himself killed without letting her crack her head open on the floor.

"Gomen..." Ayame chirped, holding a large, rectangular, handled mirror in her hand. "Maybe we should explain."

**A/N: Kiere is not Japanese. It is mine, original, and means 'Calm'.**

**Kouen-chan-Kouen is flame, -chan is respectful towards a girl, usually a young girl.  
**

**Ne, omoi-Hey, you!  
**

**Gomen-short for 'Gomenasai'-I'm sorry. 'Gomen' most likely just means 'Sorry' or the equivalent.  
**

**Please review! :D  
**


	9. Chapter 9: Interrupted

**A/N: Dedicated to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) and Wolves Run Free for feedback and encouragement! :D  
**

We're Human Too!

Chapter Nine: Interrupted:

Silence ruled the dressing room. "Yes, maybe you should." Ryou commented weakly. "How many names do you three have?"

Ayame smiled. "Three, apparently." she replied.

Akahana stirred. Kisshu jumped back, his eyes flickering in her direction warily. Then the lights went out, and a sudden bang made them all jump. Akahana was on her feet, swaying slightly, but otherwise okay.

"What the-" Fuyu broke off as they all ran outside. Somewhere in the hallways they got separated, and Kisshu found himself slamming into something cold, hard, and dark. He summoned his Sai as the thing curled around him, pinning him to a wall. He slashed at it, cutting off part of its 'arm', and ran back the other way, knocking someone over as he went.

He landed on top, and just from the sweet smell of strawberries knew it had to be Akahana.

"Run!" he hissed, grabbing her and pulling her to her feet. She started running, easily keeping pace with him, but a chill darkness chased them down the hallway. They slammed headfirst into a wall, groped left, met another wall, ran right and hit a stack of boxes. They went down with the boxes, sliding down some sort of ramp into what Akahana assumed was a storage area.

"Can't you teleport?" She hissed, frustrated. The doors for unloading must be closed, for it was still pitch-black, and that meant the only way out was the way they'd come in. Which wasn't an option because of the thing chasing them.

"Yes." Kisshu replied carefully.

"Then go get help!"

"I have no idea where anyone is anymore, Kouen-chan, and I'm not leaving you." he stated. "Find another solution, hun."

"There _isn't_ another solution!" she snarled.

"Arguing isn't going to help one materialize. You're creative." came the calm reply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akahana cried exasperatedly, throwing her hands up.

"It means I know a solution you don't."

"Are you going to tell me before I die?"

"That's harsh, Kouen-chan. I wouldn't let you die."

"Only cause you'd die with me." she muttered crossly.

"Is that what you think?" Kisshu asked, shocked. _Is this why she's fighting me so hard?_ "That I'm being forced into this? Honey, no. I chose you. I don't want anyone else but you by my side." He reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "I love you."

"You don't even know me!"

_You're forgetting something._

_ Mental connections don't count!_

_ Why not?_

He could feel waves of frustration radiating from her. _Because they don't!_

_No one knows you better than your own mind, love._

"Why don't we get out of here and argue later?"

"I could teleport and take you with me, you know."

She stared in his general direction. "You couldn't have just done that already?"

"You would've fought."

"Until I realized you were saving my life!"

"Would you?"

_OF COURSE!_ But then she felt the doubt and sadness radiating from him, and paused. Would she? Normally, yes. But she'd put so much time and effort into fighting him..._I don't know. I won't fight now, I promise._

"All right, Kouen-chan." Kisshu tugged on her wrist, and she stepped cautiously in his direction. He slid his hand up her arm, and she shivered. _What...?_

The green-haired alien wound his free arm around her waist, letting go of her wrist to grab her in a tight embrace, pressing her close to him.

"I've never tried this blind before." he whispered into her hair. "To be honest, I'd rather not risk anything going wrong, but I don't seem to have much of a choice."

Akahana shivered, but had no choice but to trust his abilities. She held still, holding on to him tightly and praying to whatever was out there that they would get out alive.


End file.
